Answers (8)

Are you familiar with the work of the physician and author Oliver Sacks? You might be interested in his book "Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain" if you have not read it.

I am not myself a certified music therapist, but I know they do work with children with autism among other things. Is your background in music therapy, and are you using this with the elderly? That is very interesting.

One anecdote I would like to share: there is a senior's class I occasionally sub, which I also occasionally take when the regular teacher is in (I think it is good to see things from the participants point of view). She was playing a tape with the song "Blueberry Hill" and as I was in the back I could hear several of the ladies singing happily along as they exercised. I would have to say when I sub I bring old tapes (yes, I was teaching back in the cassette days) with broadway, and even classical music, and I get lots of thanks for the music.

Yes, the power of music is amazing; especially when it is something from someone's good past or just plain enjoyable for them.
Music therapy is used in hospitals and the like, also.
As for oldies music, I have classical on CD.
Take care,
Natalie
NAPS 2 B Fit

I found that the type a music that the client enjoys can be of help. I have used it in pacing movement in a client with Parkinson's. All of a sudden, some movements were possible that before were just labored.

I teach a water aerobics class in which I use classical music which has been composed for movement such as waltzes, polkas and marches. My participants love it, and I find it even inter-generational. Even younger participants sing and swing along even if they had never been exposed to that music.

Yes music can release long term memory stories, as I too have experienced with clients challenged by Parkinson's Disease.

See http://www.phoenix.edu/forward/student-life/2011/08/should-you-listen-to...(The scientists drew a link between memory recall to musical tempo. A tempo of 60 beats per minute activates the right hemisphere of the brain, while the material being studied activates the left hemisphere of the brain. With both hemispheres activated, the brain can process information more efficiently.)

Caregivers have observed for decades that Alzheimer's patients, for instance can still remember and sing songs long after they have stopped recognizing names and faces. Many hospitals and nursing homes and assisted living communities use music as recreation, since it brings pleasure to the participants. But beyond the entertainment value, there's growing evidence that listening to music can also help stimulate seemingly lost memories and even help restore some cognitive function. Tests have been done through the New York State Department of Health, where 45 patients with varying degrees of dementia showed improvement in their cognitive-function scores by 50% on average. If there were more certified music therapists, and I understand there are only 7,000 in the U.S. and a small percentage work with the senior population, there might be more research and studies in the future.